New to the Boards and Thankful

I wanted to introduce myself and to thank the owners of this board and those who have asked questions before and those that answered them. It's been about 10 years since my last hatch of incubated eggs and there was a lot I forgot. This batch came with many problems from the get go. I spent the last 3 days between watching the incubator, the newly hatched chicks and reading these boards for advice. I don't think I would have made it through without the advice of y'all.

This hatch didn't turn out so well, but I think my humidity was off. I am going to purchase a hygrometer in the next couple of days and start a new hatch at the end of the week. As of this morning I have 3 chicks (Dominiques) that have hatched successfully and I don't think there will be any more.

I have 12 heavy breeds that are about a month old that I bought as biddies. I brought them home and kept them in the brooder for about a week or so and then moved them to a bigger cage that I converted from an old dresser. They were growing so fast that yesterday I moved them to the bigger cage. They were thrilled! I would love to free range them, however a have a neighbor's dog that comes by that I have lost several adult chickens to in the past.

This has been a lot of fun, but very nerve racking and very sad for those that did not make it.

I also have 4 horses, 2 that should be foaling very soon, a donkey and a pot bellied pig that will be having her babies at the end of this month or beginning of June. I have a house dog, who is more like a miniature horse, she's a Great Dane, and 2 cats.

I live in the Panhandle of Florida and am thrilled to be back out in the country to live with my animals again after having to move to the "city" for a few years.

Thank you all again!